Tie plate



April 21, 1931. J, MCCLURG 1,802,121

TIE PLATE Filed Dec. 17, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l April 21, 1931. MccLURG 1,802,121

TIE PLATE Filed 19:50 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\I I @hn G J/Z Clwy Patented Apr. 21, 1931 tree STAT JOHN G. MCCLURG, OAK PARK, ILLINOIS l TIE PLATE Application filed December 17, 1930. Serial No. 502,924.

My inventionhas for its object the provision in tie plates of a construction adapting the same for use singly or in pairs in connection with railway turnouts, switches, frogs, sidings, guard rails and in such other situations as entail the disposition of the rail members at varying distances apart and at varying angles to the underlying ties.

Heretofore, in track construction at and adjacent switches and the like, it has been the practice'to cut-and-fit the successive tie plates, punching the spikeholes at progressively varying locations to accord with the edges of the bases of the diverging or converging rails; and where it is undertaken by the mill'to provlde tie plates ready for use,

hundreds of different plates are required to.

be furnished andselection made on thejob of the individualplates'suited to. each successive tie and railbearing.

It has been proposed to provide ashoulder as a thrust bearing for the outside of a rail to take the side load off the spikes but where, as in the situation-herein referred to, closely adjacent rails each other, athrust shoulder for each. rail cannot be provided on the tie plate without providing an almost endless combination because of the varying distances between the shoulders. I

Ordinarily the tie width of the-tie for distributionofthe load over as wide an area as is possible,.andit is only when the rails are separated sufliciently to permitof individual tie plates being disposed'end to end that such shouldered tie plates can be used. It has been proposed to employ half width plates side by side in lapped relation, each provided with a shoulder at right'angles to the length of the plate and tie, the shoulder of each plate being against the gauge side of its particular rail; but where the rails are diverging orjconverging, the ties and the plates necessarily occupy positions angles to the two rails, so that the bearing of the rail on the shoulder is itself oblique; or thecompanion tie plates must occupy posi- 59? tionsout ofparallel to each other and to the have an oblique relation to plate approximates the oblique .to the rails and at varying tie -an obvious disadvantage in either alter native.

According to my invention, each tie plate is approximately one-half the tie width and is provided, preferably near one end, with an integral shoulder substantially arcuate in form, presenting to the outside of the rail a convex bearing face, so that the bearing. against the rail is the same whether the tie and the plate be disposed at a right angle or at an oblique angle to the rail; the plates being, in the case of contiguous rails, ordinarily used in pairs, parallel to each other and to the tie, and each presenting a convex thrust-sustaining shoulder to its particular rail; whereby the one design of tie plate may be used equally well in connection with progressively varying angles of tie and railand' varying distances apart of the rails.

WVhile ordinarily the thrust is away from the gauge side of the rail, yet in some situations as with frogs and guard rails it is desirablejto support the thrust by a shouldered portion of the tie plate on the gauge side, and it is found to be advantageous though not 'absolutely'necessary. to provide another plate design with a shoulder nearer the center" of its length. i

In order that the invention and its applicability to track construction inth'e circumstances above referred to may be readily u'nderstood by those skilled in this art, an embodimentof the invention in connection with. track construction'is set'forth by way of example in the accompanying description, defined in the claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 illustrates in top plan tie plates of my invention as employed in connection with a turnout or siding;

Fig. 2 is asimilar view applicable to a frog and guard rail;

Fig. 3 is a' detail longitudinal section through one of the tie plates and its under lying tie and transverse section through the overlying rails, taken on the line 3.-v.-3'of is- Fig. 4; is a similar detail section taken on the line -of Fig. 1-;

Fig. 5 is a top plan of one design of tie plate; and

Fig. 6 is a top plan of modified plate.

Having reference to F' the main rail 11 and occupying the divergent r l '1 er, are supported by the 1 upon interposed tie plates 1% and LC details of which jilates 1+1 and 15 will be hereinafter referred to with more particularity.

In Fig. 2 the relative positions of the ties 13 and the plates l t and 15 illustrated in connection with the guard ail it} and the frog 17.

From both Figs. 1 and it will be observed that due to r rel .onship of the design of drawing, i rail 12, o each oth the divei adjacent rails, the ties re necessarily disposed at obliqi c angles either one or both of the rails. while the tie plates, being disposed parallel to the tic also *upy positions at angli varying grce from no:

Each of the tie plate 1% ant. l5 is approximately one-half i re widtn so that when disposed in lapped they jointly distribute the load of the rail over the upper face of the tie. Each des gn of tie plate has a spike-receiving aperture 18 adj.- cent one end thereof and b. has beyond the median line from the sp;...e aperture 18 a second spike aperture 19 which is clon gated in the direction of the length of the plate. Each design of plate also earl an integral shoulder 20 of generally arcuate form, the convex face E21 of the shouluer facing the elongated 'kc aperture 19 and spaced therefrom a d ance corresponding to the width of a rail base 22, the spike aperture 19 being elongated in order to adapt the plate to employment with rails having bases The tie plate is also proof different width. vided with spike apertures 23 which advantageously cut the concave portion of the thrust shoulder 20.

The tie plate designs illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 respectively differ from each other only in that the positions of the thrust shoulder and elongated spike aperture 19 are reversed; that is to say in the des n illustrated in Fig. 5 the shoulder is ad ent the end of the plate and the aperture 19 in. medial position, whereas in that design illustrated in Fig. 6 the elongated spike aperture 19 is at the end of the plate and the thrust shoulder 20 occupies a medial position. They are essentially the same in that he convex bearing face of the thrust shoulder is opposed to the elongated slot and spaced therefrom a distance including a range corresponding to the widths of rail bases.

By reference particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing the manner in which these tie plates are used is apparent. The conve face of the shoulder bears against that edge of the rail base opposed to the thrust of a moving wheel. \Vhether a pair of plates of identical design be employed side by side or a pair of plates of dissimilar design be employed depends altogether upon the contiguous relation of the diverging rails. If the rails be close together as at the two ties at the left side of Fig. 1, identical plates may be employed. Where the relative positions of the two rails are as indicated in the remainder of Fig. 1, it is found preferably to employ dissimilar plates, one of the design shown in Fig. 5 and one of that shown in Fi 6.

y my invention I render it practicable to support the rails of switches, frogs, turnouts, and the like in oblique relation to each other upon cross ties obliquely arranged relative to one or more of the rails by means of tie plates substantially of one design, presenting an integral thrust support, thus avoiding the trouble and confusion due to the necessary employment of a large number of tie plate designs as has heretofore been required; also, as distinguished from the employment of tie plates having integral shoulders presenting a bearing face not always'parallel to the rail, the invention provides an arcuate face which always bears uniformly against the rail even though the angular relation between the tie, the tie plate, and the rail varies. Furthermore, the employment of the integral shoulder as a thrust supportdistributes the thrust between the several spikes at 18 and 23 rather than re quiring the spike 23 to sustain all the thrust.

Additionally, I may employ on the under face of the tie plates ribs or spurs 24 which find a seat in the body of the tie 13 and assist the spikes in resisting the tendency of the tie plate to move longitudinally under the side thrust of the car wheels.

I claim 1. An elongated railway tie plate having spike-receiving apertures and a shoulder carried by the plate and arranged to present a bearing face opposed to thrust in directions both in line with and oblique to the major axis of the plate.

2. An elongated railway tie plate having spike-receiving apertures and an integral shoulder spaced from an adjacent aperture longitudinally of the plate a distance correto present towards the adjacent aperture a bearing face opposed to thrust in directions both in line with and oblique to the major axis of the plate.

l. An elongated railway tie plate having a plurality of spike-receiving apertures and a shoulder having a convex bearing face disposed towards the adjacent aperture and separated therefrom a distance corresponding to the width of a rail base.

5. An elongated railway tie plate having a plurality of spike-receiving apertures, one of said apertures being elongated lengthwise of the plate, and an arcuate thrust-sustaining shoulder having its convex bearing face disposed towards the elongated spike-receiving aperture and separated therefrom a distance corresponding to the width of a rail base.

6. An elongated railway tie plate having a pair of spike-receiving apertures, one being elongated lengthwise of the plate, and an integral thrust-sustaining shoulder having a convex bearing face disposed towards the elongated spike aperture and separated therefrom a distance corresponding to the width of a rail base, the plate being provided with an additional spike-receiving aperture substantially at the center of the shoulder.

7. In railway track construction, the combinationwith rails'disposed at a relativein clination, and underlying ties disposedat an oblique angle to one of both of said rails, of a plurality of tie plates interposed on a tie beneath both rails side by side in lapped relation, each plate having a generally arcuate thrust-sustaining shoulder with a convex bearing face disposed against the base of one of the rails, and a spike-receiving aperture so positioned relative to the shoulder that a spike therein will bear against the rail base opposite the shoulder.

8. In railway track construction, the combination with rails disposed at a relatively progressively varying inclination, and underlying ties disposed at an oblique angle to one or both of said rails, of a plurality of tie platesinterposed on a tie beneath both rails side by side in lapped relation, each plate having a generally arcuate integral thrustsustaining shoulder with a convex bearing face disposed against the base of one of the rails, and a plurality of spike-receiving apertures, one of the apertures being elongated and so positioned relative to the shoulder that a spike therein will bear against the rail base opposite the shoulder.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto'subscribed my name.

JOHN G. MQCLURG. 

